Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-26
SOME RICH NEGROES.
They Have All Made Fortunes by Their
Own Unaided Efforts.
This Is Such
a Fine Country that Anybody, Whether
Hampered by PREF udice Or Not,
Gan Get kich.
New York World,

New York World.
The best proof Of the material progress
of the negro race Ia this country is the
amount of the wealth they have accumu-
lated. There are nearly 5000, 900 people
OF African descent in tie United States
and their accumulated wealth is estima-
ted at 5000, 900 900. In this age of money
getting it might seem from a business
standpoint that this Is q small sum for
5000. 900 people to boast of, but one must
remember that less than thirty years ago
more than two thirds of the negroes were
slaves.
The wealthiest person of the African
race this side of Mason and Dixon's line
is DR.. James N Gloucester of Brooklyn.
The Gloucester estate is valued ct $780,
900. In addition to this city property,
Mr.. Gloucester owns farm at Deer Park
OF $50 acres, which is we'll stocked. The
farm is used as his summer residence.
having three handsome dwellings,, one
being modern palace, used by himself
and family. The place three months ago
was valued at $50, 600, but since the dis
covery OF mineral spring on his place
the doctor says that $4,000 could not
purchase it..
The Hesdra estate, which Is now partly
devoured by hungry lawyers, would by
this time be worth $500, 600 had Mr. and
Mrs. Hesdra lived. Al the time Of their
death the property was in Furnishing
condition and valued at S25O,O00 The
foundation Of this wealth was laid in q
laundry, which had its origin in base
ment in this city. Its successful growth
was due TO safe investments in real
estate. The Her drass were formerly
slaves and came to this city about thirty
years ago.
The accumulation OF wealth in cities
outside of New York state by persons of
Africsn descent is due more to hard labor
than TO investment In real estate. Those
in the south, number IN the west, and a
few in the east ere skilled laborers, and
not few very excellent mechanics Here
are q few rich negroes from New jersey:
A N!ckens owns and manages pottery
at Haddonfeld, If I'M which he turned cut
work that outrivaled everything of it,
kind at the recent New Orleans exposi-
ton. Henry Hopper is worth $4,000 in
cash. He is steam spoke manufacturer
aud has large contracts with the New
York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad
J. M. Herbert is manufacturer and
dealer in upholstery at Trenton, aud q
W. Watson is chief stakeholder and man.
ager Of q stocking factory at Camden
E ich OF these men is ssid to be worth
from S75 GEO to 100000
With the exception Of New Orleans,
Philadelphia has more rich negroes
than any other city. About $500, 900 is
reputed to be the combined wealth Of the
sable citizens of the Quaker city. AL
though the leading and most prosperous
vocation is that Of catering, there is e
prosperous class of coal merchants, real
estate dealers, four merchants, second
hand furniture dealers, and dealers in
chinaware. One real estate dealer, john
Mckee, is said to be the owner Of 400
houses, besides property elsewhere.
William Still. author of the Underground
railroad," is a coal merchant on very
tx ensive scale. His coal yard is said to
be the largest In America. He is the
owner of & number of coal cars, a large
amount of real estate, is stakeholder in
the Nation newspaper, being one Of the
Originators, and the possessor Of fat
bank account. He began business on a
capital of s.. There are two men worth
500, 900 each, one worth 100000, two
worth $4,000, one S45, 900, five $40. 600,
seven S25, 600, thirteen 100000, seven
SIS 900. nineteen $4,000, and twenty
two $4,000 each. There are great many
who are worth between $1,000 and $4,000
each.
Baltimore is notable for 'house-owners.
Everybody of African extraction who can
invests in house. Nineteen cOlored men
Of Baltimore are said to be worth $780,
600. The weaIthiest is Joseph Thomas,
who is boss stevedore. He is worth
$50 600. James L Bradford, a green
grocer, is worth $4,000, and Captain
r bert Henry OF Pocomoke City is owner
Of two coast-wise vessels and is the heav =
lest cololed taxpayer in the city of B.lti-
more.
The tax collector OF the District of Co.
lumbia is negro, snd is the heaviest tax
payer of his race. He says that in the Dis
trict of Columbia the value of the prop
erty of two Authorization residents
may be placed at 100000 each, two at
$4,000, at $25, 000 fifteen At $40 900,
twenty st SIC, 90 and fifty st S., 900 each. .
Frederick Douglass is said to be worth
$3.50 900, al hough ne is only assessed for
SIS 95 worth of property. Mr.. Douglass
owns real estate in R chester, N. Y but
The bulk Of his weslth, it is said, is safely
invested in government bonds. The
Wormley hotel, probably the most sue
cessful public house in Washington, owes
its success to James Wormley,~a negro,
who died recently. Some years SGD Mr.
Wormley bought the no ell on time e,or
$50 900; the estate is now said to b
worth $4,000. W. II Lee, a -four
merchant, Is worth $50, 900.
The general increase in the value OF
II al estate in the state OF Virginia in the
last few years is said to be due to the
purchase of and Improvement of small
farms by the negroes. Samuel Harris of
Williamsburg conducts q business simi
lar to that of Macy's IN this city and is
worth $4,000. 1t Petersburg and NJr-
70 there are twenty firms that represent
100000 In Richmond there is an
African American barber named William
Lyons who is worth $4,000. H Is the
wealthiest negro in Richmond. William
Gray is butcher and is considered one
of the "bloods'' of Alexandria, $75, 900
being the estimate of his wealth. Samuel
Bowling is brickmaser. He carried on